Art Basel 2016: Film
Pierre Bismuth Art Basel’s Film program will open with an exclusive preview of French artist Pierre Bismuth’s ‘Where is Rocky ll?’ (2016). The story behind the film lies in the artist’s search for an artificial rock left by Ed Ruscha in the Mojave Desert in the late 1970s, and explores how we project our fantasies. ‘Where is Rocky ll?’ is at once a documentary, a crime thriller and a work of art – and, ultimately, something else entirely. Bismuth’s film will be shown at 10.30pm on Monday, June 13, 2016. ‘History’s Future’ (2016) is Fiona Tan’s first feature-length fiction film, and introduces ‘MP’, a character who has been so severely beaten after a mugging that he has lost all his memories and has to rebuild his life. Tan’s film touches on several sensitive subjects of our time: violence, shock, loss of identity, being everything and everywhere at once, and yet nothing and nowhere. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with Fiona Tan and Maxa Zoller.
Tan’s film will be shown at 8.30pm on Wednesday, June 15, 2016. Jonas Mekas’ ‘Reminiscences of a Journey to Lithuania’ (1971/1972) is the documentation of the artist’s first visit back to his homeland since his attempt to flee the Nazis aged 22, and his emigration to New York in the 1940s. A pioneer of avant-garde cinema, Mekas will be present at the Art Basel screening, which will be followed by a Q&A with Maxa Zoller. Mekas’ film will be shown at 8pm on Thursday, June 16, 2016. Timothy Marrinan and Richard Dewey’s documentary film ‘Burden’ (2016) is a revealing portrait of Chris Burden, which draws upon unprecedented access to the artist’s archive, and features candid footage filmed in the final years of his life. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with Timothy Marrinan, Richard Dewey and Marian Masone. Marrinan and Dewey’s film will be shown at 8pm on Saturday, June 18, 2016. For its collaboration with Art Basel, the Festival del film Locarno will present the Swiss premier of Omer Fast’s ‘Continuity’ (2016). With the short version of the film having premiered at documenta 13, the long version follows a straightforward narrative of an emotional homecoming, which turns uncanny, as the two main protagonists repeatedly invite different young men into their home for a mysterious ritual. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with Fast and Sergio Fant, programmer of the Festival del film Locarno. Omer Fast’s film will be screened at 8.30pm on Friday, June 17, 2016.
The first Short Film program on Tuesday, June 14, 2016 takes inspiration from Karl Valentin’s phrase ‘Kunst ist schön, macht aber viel Arbeit’ (‘Art is beautiful, but it takes a lot of work’), and will feature a selection of short films by contemporary artists inspired by the relationship between work and value, especially that of manual versus virtual work. Screening on the same day, the second Short Film program ‘Sound Spaces of Trauma’ will look at North Korea and Sarajevo as places of extreme trauma that are then sublimated by means of classical musical compositions. With their films, the three artists Park Chan-kyong, Anri Sala and Manon de Boer explore a new approach in coming to terms with the past. The Short Film program on Thursday, June 16, 2016 focuses on one of today’s most pressing issues: mass migration. However, instead of focusing on tragedy, these films use metaphors to approach the subject.
When June 13, 10pm
What Introduction by Pierre Bismuth of ‘Where is Rocky II?’
When 10.30pm
What Screening | Pierre Bismuth: ‘Where is Rocky II?’ (2016)
Running time 93′; team (gallery, inc.), Jan Mot, Christine König
When Jun 14, 8pm
What Short Film program | ‘Arbeit ist schön, macht aber viel Kunst’
Running time 68′; curated by Maxa Zoller
When June 14, 10pm
What Short Film program | ‘Sound Spaces of Trauma’
Running time 66′; curated by Maxa Zoller
When June 15, 8.30pm
What Screening | Fiona Tan: ‘History’s Future’ (2016)
Running time 95′, Frith Street Gallery, Mongrel Media
When June 16, 8pm
What Jonas Mekas: ‘Reminiscences of a Journey to Lithuania’ (1971/1972)
Running time 82′; James Fuentes
When June 16, 10.30pm
What Short Film program | ‘Migrating Birds’
Running time 38′; curated by Maxa Zoller
When June 17, 8.30pm
What Special screening | Omer Fast: ‘Continuity’ (2016)
Running time 85′; selected by Sergio Fant, programmer Festival del film Locarno, gb agency, Arratia Beer, Dvir Gallery, James Cohan Gallery, Filmgalerie 451
When June 18, 8pm
What Special Screening | Timothy Marrinan, Richard Dewey: ‘Burden’ (2016)
Running time 90′; selected by Marian Masone; European premiere
Access: Tickets are CHF 17. Free access with Art Basel VIP card or show ticket. Limited seating, please email film@artbasel.com for advance ticket reservation.
